the light in the darkness - A Lore Olympus inspired story
by IntryEx
Summary: Based on the incredible webcomic 'Lore Olympus' created by the wonderful Rachel Smyth. He'd never thought a missed call could lead to all of this... HadesxPersephone.
1. three missed calls

A loud buzz jolted him back to reality. He blinked, his blood-red eyes scanning the room searching for whatever was making that loud, and by now quite annoying, noise. Looking down, he noticed the blue glare from his phone screen. Three missed calls. 'ah shit.' Hades sighed as he dialed his inbox and heaved the phone up to his ear. 'First message, left today at 19.52pm: Hi boss. Just a quick call. I wanted to confirm the plans for tomorrows charter meeting. Call me back when you get a chance. Bye.' 'ah… must reply to that one. She can get pretty crabby if I ignore her for long.' Hades chuckles as he adds 'call Hecate' to his to-do list. 'Next message, left today at 20.00pm: Yoo hoo! Big brother… You can't avoid me forever. Family brunch tomorrow is mandatory, remember?! You better be there. I order you.' 'ugh.' He rolled his eyes as he deleted the message.

'Final message, left today at 23:20 pm' Hades looks up at the clock. 23:30 pm. He'd only just missed this one. As he listens, a small soft voice begins. H-hi… It's me. I mean, Its Persephone.' A cold sinking feeling rushed through his body. It was her. Why would she be calling him? What could she possibly want? 'Look, I know its getting late… and I really don't want to bother you but I… could you...' There's a long pause. 'y'know what, never mind. I'll see you Monday. Bye.' The phone line cut dead. Hades panicked. He could sense that something was wrong. Something in her voice was off. She didn't sound like her usual self. Instinctively, he hit re-dial. He didn't have a plan. He didn't know what he would say. He just needed to make sure she was ok.

'h-Hello?' Her voice flowed through his ears like fine music. His throat tightened at the sound. His mind raced with anxiety. 'H-hi. You called? Did you need something?' He coughs and loosens his shirt collar trying to sound breezy. 'I h-hope I didn't interrupt anything. I sh-shouldn't have called.' Her voice sounds weak. There is a slight wobble to her words. It almost sounds like she's been crying. 'Persephone, is everything alright?' He probes softly. Sensing the tone in her voice, he sits upright in his black leather office chair, resting his elbow on the table. 'yeah, I'm f-fine… I just…'

'No, you're not. I know fine and you don't sound fine.' Hades shuffles in his chair. 'Well, It's almost midnight, I'm alone and I'm a total disaster.' She stifles an anxious laugh. 'Eros convinced me to come out for drinks tonight to say sorry for what happened at the party. I was having a good time… I don't know what went wrong. One minute I was fine and the next it felt like someone's hands were around my throat. Like the walls were closing in around me. I got scared so I left and now I'm just…walking.' The thought of her wandering the cold dark streets of the underworld alone filled him with a dread that gripped him by the chest. Hades spoke with urgency. 'Where are you now? I'm coming to get you. You shouldn't be alone right now.' He took a deep breath to steady himself.

'erm, I'm not sure where I am.' She laughs 'Good Gaia, I'm pathetic.' He hated hearing her talk about herself this way. To him, she was perfection. 'Believe me, you're far from pathetic, what can you see?' He wracked his brain trying to imagine where she could be. 'well, in front of me there's a gym and to the left, I can see what looks like a garden with a fountain in the middle.' Like a lightbulb had gone off in his brain, he stood and pulled on his jacket frantically, scooping his keys up in the process. 'I know where you are. Stay there. I'll be 5 minutes. I'm coming.' Ending the call and rushing out of the door, Hades felt an urgency he'd never felt before. He had to get to her. He needed to hold her in his arms and tell her everything was going to be ok.

Slamming the door of the car and turning the key to start the engine he caught sight of himself in the mirror. He was flushed and breathless. He had to get it together. He couldn't let her see him so undone like this. His foot hit the gas peddle and it barley lifted until he reached the park. As he brought the car to a stop he looked out of the window, his eyes frantically searching. He swung open the driver door and stepped out into the bitterly cold night air, turning the collar of his jacket up to shield himself from the wind. His eyes wandered the black abyss for any sign of her. Heart pounding, he circled to the front of his car, stepped onto the pavement and into the park in search of the dainty goddess.

'Kore' He called out softly as he glances upwards to an old iron bench, on which a small pink mass was huddled. Slowly, he moved towards her, removing his jacket as he did so. Taking a seat on the bench next to her, he draped his jacket over her shoulders. 'You're freezing. How long have you been out here?' he said, sounding more adjetated than he intended. She took a deep breath. He could see she was visibly shivering so he stretched his arm around her and pulled her close. 'About an hour. I guess I've not quite adjusted to how cold it is here yet. Th-thank you.' Tugging on Hades' jacket and pulling it across her body, Persephone slumped sideways, resting against him couldn't believe that he was sitting next to her. That he'd found her. 'I'm sorry… I'm such a mess.' A deep shame burned in her chest and a single tear escaped her eye. She hated people seeing her like this: so weak and broken. Lifting her chin upwards with his fingers gently, Hades brought her gaze to meet his. 'well, I guess that makes two of us then.' He smiled warmly, giving her a little squeeze. 'C'mon lets get you somewhere warm. Where do you want me to take you? I could take you home or to Artemis' or… well…' He fumbled in his seat, releasing her from his gaze. 'C-could I just come back to your place? I just feel like hiding from the world for a while.' She almost pleaded. Hiding from the world, especially with Hades for company, sounded like her idea of heaven.

'...Of course. If you're sure.' He'd have taken her anywhere. Hell, he'd have sat on that bench all night if it meant he could be in her company. He stood slowly, reaching his hand out to offer her some support. With her hand in his, she heaved herself from the bench and they walked back to the car. Hades held the passenger door open whilst she climbed inside. 'Comfy?' he asked. 'Very' she smiled.

Within minutes, although it felt much longer, they had arrived back at hades' smart, glass-walled townhouse. Persephone loved it here. It was modern, yet classic at the same time and matched Hades' personality perfectly: tall, dark and gorgeous. She'd grown quite fond of the underworld during her time working for Hades and was mesmerized by its quiet beauty. Being the goddess of spring she didn't see darkness very often. It was a welcome change and one which tended to mirror how she was feeling these days. Exiting the car, Hades rushed to the door and put his key into the lock. A few turns and the door flung open. He ushered her in and removed his jacket from her shoulders. 'Warm enough?' he asked. Persephone nodded gently. She looked down at her feet and then to the tight black bandage dress wrapped around her petite frame. 'I really don't know what I was thinking wearing this.' She gestured to her outfit with a distasteful look on her face. 'It's just not... me.' Hades took a second to really drink in the vision in front of him. As out of character as it was for her to wear something like that, he couldn't help but admit that she looked incredible. Each fold of the soft fabric clung to her curves in all the right places. Her hair long and flowing and her make-up soft and delicate, just enough to highlight her beauty. The sight of her was enough to take his breath away. 'I think you look beautiful in whatever you wear.' The words fell from his lips before he had the chance to stop himself. She smiled bashfully at him. 'You can borrow something if you'd be more comfortable?' She nodded thankfully and followed him through to his bedroom. Opening the glass doors carefully, Hades pulled a crisp white shirt from his closet and held it up to her. 'Here, how's about this?' 'Thank you. It's perfect.' She smiles as she takes the shirt from him gently. 'I'll give you some privacy. You need something warm. How's about some Tea?' Remembering her reaction the last time he offered her coffee, he decided tea might be more up her street. 'Chamomile works wonders... or so I've heard.' Hades chuckles and looks down at his feet, a little embarrassed. He tries to puff his chest in an attempt to regain his masculinity. 'Thanks, that'd be great.' Persephone smiles as she turns to watch him leave the room.

Kicking off her heels and unwrapping the dress, she breathed deeply, adjusting to her new surroundings. Standing in her underwear, she gazed at the space around her. Smart yet inviting, she'd never been in here before. She ran her hands across the soft cotton sheet draped across Hades' king-sized bed, subconsciously wondering what it would feel like against her bare skin. Slipping on the shirt and buttoning it up almost to the top, she took a minute to compose herself. The shirt was cozy and smelled just like him. Breathing deeply, she inhales the scent as if it were a drug she just couldn't get enough of. She padded across the soft black rug and out of the room. Along the hall joining the bedroom to the living areas she could see a framed picture of Hades and his family: Zeus and Hera with their gaggle of children; Poseidon and Amphitrite and their little boy and then Hades standing alone to the side of the picture. She couldn't help but sense the loneliness and the longing in his expression. Stroking the glass carefully with her fingers, she moved across the hall, reaching the kitchen where she could see Hades was waiting. She hopped up onto a sleek breakfast bar stool as he slid a steaming mug towards her. Persephone pulled it towards her, inhaled its warmth and took a big sip. Armed with a mug of coffee, Hades joined her, sitting across from her at the breakfast bar. 'So, do you wanna talk about what happened tonight? From what you said, I'd sounded like you had a panic attack.' He said, taking a sip of his coffee. 'I get them all the time.' He admits and then sighs. 'really?' she enquires, surprised at this admission. Hades nods. 'I've been told that the first step to conquering them is to find out what's causing them.' The pair make eye contact for a moment. 'well... something happened to me a little while ago and... ever since, I've had these little moments where I feel as if the wind has been knocked out of me. I can't breathe, I can't move. I'm frozen.' Reaching out his hand, Hades places it over hers. 'You don't have to talk about it if you don't want to or if it's too painful. But I'm here if you need to talk. You can tell me.' His thumb strokes across her hand softly and they meet each other's gaze. 'I think now's the right time...' she starts.

It was finally time to tell someone: to tell them what Apollo did.


	2. There's nowhere i'd rather be

They sat for what seemed like hours. She talked, he listened. She cried, he wiped away her tears. He'd moved to sit by her side and cradle her as she sobbed. Inside, he fumed; disgusted by what he was hearing and desperate to protect her. She swore him to secrecy and begged him not to act on what she'd said. 'So that's it. I don't know what happened to the pictures. I'm pretty sure he still has them.' She sighed and looked down into her empty mug. 'I could kill him.' Hades raged, slamming his fist against the bar. 'He deserves it for what he's done to you.' Reaching out to stroke her cheek with his hand, hades catches her gaze. 'I'm so sorry Kore. I'm sorry that this happened to you… I'm sorry I wasn't there to protect you.' Her hand rose to meet his on the side of her face. 'Hades, none of this is your fault.' She places his hand in her lap, her hands cupping his as they lay there. A silence fell between the two of them. They sat there, drinking each other in for a moment. Persephone cleared her throat. 'Hades, being with you… spending time with you these last few weeks, it's the only thing that kept me going. I've wanted to call so many times. I've wanted to tell you everything. I guess I didn't have the nerve. But I'm telling you now.'

Hades' eyes blinked and he felt a warmth burn in his chest. 'Kore, I…' he began. 'Look, I know this is silly and I should probably get my stuff and go. I've already wasted enough for your night.' She says interrupting him mid-sentence. Her body shifts and she hops down off the stool. Hades dismounts his stool. Before she can move, Hades reaches out his hand, grabbing hold of her delicate wrist. 'Wait…' he says, desperation in his voice. She turns to face him. Her eyes full of tears. Gently, he raises his hand to brush a strand of hair away from her face, and gazes longingly into her eyes, stroking gently down her arm with his fingertips. Resting his forehead against hers and closing his eyes, he pulls her in close. Her hands grasped his arms just above the elbow. Struggling to catch his breath, Hades sinks into their embrace. 'N-nobody has ever seen me like you see me. Not as a monster. Just as… me. There has been so many time where I've wanted to reach out… when I've wanted to wrap you in my arms and tell you…' A lump now in his throat, Hades stumbles. With each word, the gap between them disappears. 'to tell you that I….' before he can finish, their lips meet tenderly.

The kiss lasts only a few minutes but feels much longer. Looking into each other's eyes, they let out a small, light laugh. 'that you.. what?' Persephone questions. 'Isn't it obvious?' He smiles a shallow, breathless smile. 'that I love you.' He confesses. 'That you're everything! That I can't sleep or eat or even think straight when you're around.' Holding her tightly in his embrace, their lips meet again for another intense kiss. 'oh, Hades.' She sighs. 'I love you too.' She exclaims, resting her forehead against his. Finally, those words they'd longed to hear the other say. This was it. Hades knew it was now or never.

Taking her in his arms, Hades hoisted her up onto the bar behind them, wrapping his arms around her. Persephone wrapped her legs around his waist, pulling him close to her. Her hands found their way up his chest as their lips crashed onto each other desperately. Slowly, she began to unbutton each shirt button. Their kiss now broken, she began rolling the shirt down over his shoulders, exposing his chest. Tugging it off, she traced the scars on his chest with her fingertips. Hades watched every move she made and held her tightly. He'd never let anybody touch him like this before. He hated his scares but loved how good her touch felt. Hades moved his hand down, stroking his fingertips gently across her knee and up to her inner thigh. Persephone let out a short breathy moan. 'Are you sure you want this?' Hades whispered into her ear. She didn't answer. Instead, she took his hands and begins to help him unbutton her shirt, pulling him in for another deep kiss. Pulling the shirt from her delicate arms and throwing it to the ground, Hades lifts her up. Her legs wrap around his waist as they had done before and they padded carefully down the hallway.

Placing her down gently on his crisp cotton sheets, Hades removed his trouser quickly and lay next to her. Shifting his weight, Hades took a moment to admire just how breathtaking she was then, hovering over her, began to run a trail of small kisses down her collar bone. After a few minutes, Persephone began to panic and pushed him away from her. Sitting bolt upright in the middle of the bed, she gasped for breath. A worried Hades sat beside her, stroking her hair and running small kisses down her back. 'I'm sorry, it's just… flashbacks.' She says breathlessly. 'You have no reason to be sorry' Hades whispers, resting his head against hers. 'We just need to take it slowly.' Turning to give him a gentle kiss, she let out a small whimper. 'I promise. I will never hurt you.' Hades whispers, looking into her eyes. Nodding, Persephone collapsed into his arms.

Sitting there for several minutes, holding each other, gave Hades time to think. 'Hey, I have an idea.' Looking up at her, Hades holds out his hand. 'Trust me?' he asks. She nods and they lie back onto the comforter again. Stroking the side of her face, Hades reached over and placed the nervous goddess into a new position: so that she was on top of him, with her legs either side of his waist. 'We can take it at your pace. You have the control.' Resting on his elbows, Hades leaned upwards to meet her lips. 'Better?' he askes 'because if not, we don't have too..' interrupting him with a passionate kiss, Persephone pushed him backward, so he was lying flat. Running his hands across her legs and up her back, Hades found his hands tangled in her hair. He couldn't believe this was happening. The thing he'd longed for was finally his. Leaning down, Persephone planted kisses down Hades' rugged chest starting at his neck and inching lower and lower. Tugging at his boxers, she lowered them down and discarded them to reveal Hades' erection. HeHe inhaled sharply and rested on his elbows once again, taking in the sight of what was about to happen. Slowly, she placed her hand around the base of his shaft and worked her hands up and down his length rhythmically. The blue god let out a deep moan, never taking his eyes off her. Looking to him for approval, a rye grin spread across Persephone's face. She began to move faster, increasing the rhythm. Feeling brave, she lowered lips down to him and passed him between them softly. Hades squirmed beneath her, short deep moans escaping from his lips every few seconds as she continued to move her lips up and down the length of his shaft. Unable to resist her any longer he vaulted upright, wrapping his arms around her back, tracing his fingers across the clasp of her black lace bra. Undoing it gently, he slides it down her arms and throws it to the floor. Nuzzling into her neck, he kisses his way across her chest, taking her perky breasts in his hands with a gentle caress. She moaned at his touch and relaxed backward as he continued kissing down her chest and stomach. Being careful to avoid what happened last time, he reached for her hands and placed them on top of his shoulders, giving her the control in case she needed a time out. Hades continues to kiss down her stomach and along her hips. Pulling at her black lace knickers, he hooked his fingers around them and slid them down her slender legs. Once removed, she turned his attentions to her inner thigh, kissing and licking gently as he moved his way toward her. Looking up at her with a cheeky smile and a glint in his eye, Hades took her into his mouth slowly, his tongue prying for access. Each stroke of his tongue against her sent moans of ecstasy cascading from her lips. Each movement pushing her closer to her breaking point. 'H-hades… yes,' she moaned deeply. God, he loved it when she moaned his name. It drove him wild. He couldn't wait any longer, he had to have her. Moving so he was once again hovering over her, her hands still gripping his shoulders, he lowered his body so that he was close to her. 'Ready?' he asked with a grin. 'Oh Hades, I want you. now' Persephone responded, desperately. Kissing her deeply and holding onto her tightly, the god positioned himself between her warm thighs and began to ease himself inside her gently. Moans of pleasure escaped both their lips in-between heated kisses. He pressed deeper and deeper as she warmed to his presence, building a steady rhythm. A moan reverberated from deep inside her as she adjusted to his erection filling her. Hades continued his movements, looking into her eyes for a sign of approval. 'Is-is this ok?' he asked breathlessly. 'Don't… don't stop.' she reassured. Her eyes blinked uncontrollably as she welcomed this entirely new sensation. This is what it was supposed to be like. This is how it was supposed to feel.

Moaning again and moving her hips to accompany his thrusts, she clung tightly to Hades' muscular frame. 'Oh Kore…' he mouthed breathlessly, looking into her eyes and kissing her deeply. Her muscles squeezed around him and her hands gripped the sheets around her trying to steady herself. The next few thrusts sent her spiraling as she orgasmed around him. Panting and satisfied, she looked up into Hades' chiseled face and smiled. Smiling back, he began to slow his thrust to a constant rhythm. 'Oh, P-Persephone… I'm…almost' He looked down, and then back into her eyes. Nodding approvingly, she pulled him in for an urgent kiss, holding him close and squeezing her muscles around him. And with the next movement, he toppled over the edge, crashing into orgasm and releasing inside of her. Breathing heavily and panting a little, Hades rested his head against Persephone's chest, feeling her soft skin graze his cheek. They lay there intertwined for several minutes. Removing himself, Hades lay beside her on the bed, stroking her hair as he admired her naked form. She really was perfect. The most beautiful thing he'd ever laid his eyes on. Turning inwards to face him, Persephone inched closer so their noses were just millimeters apart. '0% scoundrel' she said with a smile flashing across her face. Laughing, Hades kissed her lips softly and pulled her into a close embrace. 'I could stay here forever.' He sighed. Reaching across, she traced the shape of his jaw with her fingertips. 'There's nowhere I'd rather be.'


	3. You'll never be alone again

Wiping the sleep from his eyes, he blinked and eased his head up from the pillow, his eyes adjusting slowly to the darkness surrounding him. Reaching out his hand, Hades stroked the soft cotton sheets to his right, searching for a sign that last night wasn't a dream. His hand wandered into the unexpectedly empty space across from him. Opening his eyes widely, he vaulted upright sharply. 'Persephone?' he groaned, desperately searching the room of any sign of her. Silence followed. 'Kore?' he called out again, this time growing more anxious. Nobody answered. Defeated, Hades fell backwards, hitting the pillow hard. His eyes stared unblinkingly at the ceiling and his heart raced. A sharp pain burned in his chest cavity. He was used to waking up alone but he thought that this morning would finally be different. Rubbing his face with his hands, trying to collect his thoughts, he leant across the small dark wooden bedside table to grab his thick black framed glasses. Placing them atop the bridge of his nose with a sign, he turns his attentions to small silhouette standing in the doorway.

'G'morning.' Persephone sung softly, standing in the doorway wearing nothing but Hades' shirt and holding two steaming cups. A cool wash of relief reverberated through his body. It was real. She hadn't left. 'M-morning' The word stuck in his throat, elated at the sight of her. 'Just thought you might want a nice warm coffee to wake up to.' She said smiling as she sat the coffee cup down on the table beside him. His fingertips stroked at her legs as she passed him, beckoning her back to bed. 'thank you… although I'd rather have had you here to wake up to.' He said, watching her circle the bed, placing her cup down on the opposite table and climbing back onto the bed. 'You've got me. I'm here.' She sighs sensing the anxiety in his voice and traces her fingertips along his cheek, planting a tender kiss on his lips gently. Reaching out his arms, he pulled her petite frame to him, the contours of their bodies molded together perfectly like two pieces of the same jigsaw. She placed her head against his chest, hearing the pounding of his heart and sensing the tension in his muscles. 'You'll never be alone again Hades. I'm not going anywhere.' She whispers softly, stroking his chest with her hands. Hades took a deep breath inwards, stopping momentarily to take in the sent of her. God she spelt divine. 'Last night was …' he starts. 'incredible' she spoke softly. They both flashed a small shallow smile.

'So, what's the plan for today then?' She questioned excitedly, sitting up to face him. 'Well, I'm the boss, so I'm sure I can take the day off.' Hades chuckled, then suddenly tensed. 'What's wrong?' Persephone questioned again, sensing the tension. 'I have a meeting… and a brunch… and I'm supposed to…' he groaned, irritated at the busy schedule he had for the day. 'Tell you what, you hop in the shower, I'll go deal with this and then we can do whatever you like. You'll be needing some clothes… unless you want to wear my shirts forever… which I can't say I mind..' He grins cheekily, tugging at the hem of the shirts she's wearing. 'well as comfy as they are' she breaths, snuggling into the soft fabric 'they do bury me alittle' she giggles, holding up her arms to showcase the dangling shirt sleeves. 'Ok, First: shower. Then we'll swing by your place, you can grab what you need and then the weekend is ours. I just need to make afew calls. Alright?' He instructs, kissing her sweetly and swinging his legs out of bed, grabbing his phone in the process. 'alright… boss.' She laughs sarcastically, teasing him gently. Letting out a hearty chuckle and flashing her a charming smile, Hades walks out of the room and heads for his office.

Getting up from the bed, Persephone pulled the sheets straight, making it look as if nobody had slept there. Tugging at the shirt, she began to delicately undoe each button, dropping it to the grown with a small thud. Her eyes glanced to the soft carpet beneath her feet. Strewn across it was her underwear that'd be disgraced the night before. Scooping them into her arms, she headed to the on-suite bathroom. Dumping her things in a small pile on the floor, she reached up and turned the tap to warm. Stepping to the shower, she felt the warm droplets of water cascade across her skin. She exhaled deeply, enjoying the comfort.

'You can do this Hecate. I have every faith in you. Just stick to the proposal plan and you'll be fine. Any problems, I'm at the end of the phone.' Hades reassured her. Letting her run the meeting was a stroke of genius. 'I'm sorry to do this to you last minute but…' his thoughts wandered to the naked goddess currently in his shower. 'something very important came up.' Ending the phone call with a brief goodbye, he sighed. Getting out of the next one wasn't going to be as easy. Reluctantly, he dialed his brothers number and inhaled sharply. 'well, well, well…' Zeus' mocked. 'Hades, what do I owe this high honor? Could this not have waited until brunch?' she asked smugly. 'Zeus, always a pleasure. Listen, about brunch…' he began. 'Its mandatory Hades, you know that…. What excuse do you have this time?' he huffed. 'something…' he trails off, his mind wandering again. 'important… really important has come up and It can't wait. Can we reschedule?' After a few moments of bargaining, Zeus caved and agreed. 'Thank you. I owe you.' Hades exclaimed. 'I just hope she's worth it H...' says Zeus with a rye smile. A lump formed in Hades' throat. 'How.. how did you know?' he asked astonished. Zeus chucked. 'Brother, I'm the god of gods. It's my job to know. Besides, you're my brother and I've never heard you like this before.' Zeus exclaimed light heartedly. 'Like what?' Hades wondered. 'You're obviously flustered. You sound breathless. You're distracted. All I'm saying is she must be quite something if she's broken the god of death.' He chuckled. 'Oh she is.' He gushed. Ending the call and placing his phone back onto the desk, Hades took a moment to steady his breathing. Everything had happened so quickly that he'd barley had time to take it all in. He couldn't explain the sudden tightness he felt in his chest. It burned and made the air prickle in his throat. So this was love. This is what it was supposed to feel like. The longing; the urgency; the desperation.

Resting against the solid oak desk, he closed his eyes as her words rang in his ears: 'You'll never be alone again Hades. I'm not going anywhere.'


	4. You are perfect

Hades stood at the threshold to his bathroom, both palms and forehead resting against the dark oak door. He steadied himself for a moment, trying to prepare for what awaited him in the next room. The events of the previous evening still felt surreal, like a beautiful dream he'd yet to wake up from. A momentary panic washed over him, accompanied briefly by a cold shiver that seemed all-consuming. What was he doing? Was she too young for him? She was innocent and pure; uncorrupted by the evils of the world. She was perfect and everything he'd searched for, and he'd searched for so long, but was this really the life he wanted for her? A life of darkness, shackled to the underworld. Was he good enough? He was battered, bruised and had more than his fair share of broken parts. Was he ready to be vulnerable? Could he really be the man she needed? He breathed deeply, desperately pushing the anxiety to the back of his mind.

Stepping into the sleek tiled bathroom slowly, his eyes met the sight of her: naked and wet, facing away from him. Water cascaded down around her, dripping from her curves. She looked glorious. She hummed softly as she gently lathered soap suds across her chest. He leaned against the wall slightly slack mouthed and watched her for a few moments. He could have stayed and watched her for hours. To him, she was utter perfection; a thousand times better than his mind would have ever let him imagine her to be. His eyes traced the contours of her body, taking in her soft curves. How could someone look so youthful yet so much like a woman. Her breasts and backside were perky and round and her long pink locks flowed effortlessly down the shallow of her back. Her skin was delicate, not a blemish nor a mark littered it. She almost seemed to glow in the dim electric light.

He closed his eyes for a moment, the memory of her fingertips on his skin burned in his mind. He sighed deeply, stepping into the shower, pressing his body close to hers and wrapping his arms around her tightly. He rested his head against hers, pressing his mouth to her ear. 'You are perfect.' he murmured, hushing his voice low as if almost a whisper. He kissed the delicate skin behind her ear, breathing heavily. The sound of his husky breath reverberated down her ear, sending shivers down her spine. Her head involuntarily rocked backward, surrendering herself to his will. Hades glided his fingertips across her hips, tracing small circles across her damp skin. His erection pushed forcefully against her, desperate and longing. She moaned a throaty moan, biting her lip softly. This only excited the god more as he planted soft kisses along her exposed neck and down her collar bone. He couldn't wait any longer. He wanted her. He needed her. His hands moved from her hips, sliding down and across her inner thigh, stroking the entrance to her vagina. Letting out a few more deep moans, Persephone placed her hand atop his, guiding his fingers inside her. His fingertips began to stroke and tease her, desperately seeking her release. Her moans grew more and more intense with each movement and she began to writhe with pleasure beneath his touch. Her back buckled against him. 'H-H-Hades..' She moaned his name breathlessly. He loved the sound of his name leaving her lips, begging him for more. Increasing the speed and pressure of each stroke, the god pressed her closer to him. When she could hold it no longer, she crashed into orgasm, letting out a deep sweet moan as she came. 'ahh..' she panted, her body quivering. Hades buried his face into the back of her hair and inhaled. Her smell was intoxicating, like a craving he couldn't satisfy. She sank into his embrace, relishing his touch as he planted passionate kissed across her neck.

Persephone reached up and switched off the shower. The last droplets fell, landing on her breasts. Turning to face him, she rested her palms against his bare chest. Their lips met desperately. Reaching a hand to his left, Hades picked up a soft black towel and wrapped it around her, pulling her in closer. He fumbled for a towel of his own and wrapped it around his waist. Holding her in his arms for a moment, their lips met again. In that his, Hades was trying to show her just what she meant to him. She was perfect and, most importantly, she was his.


	5. Where are we going?

'well, that was a very….' She paused, looking up at him. '…welcome distraction.' She giggled softly as they padded softly into the bedroom. Taking her face in his hands, Hades planted a tender kiss on her lips. '…down boy. We really can't do this all day.' Their foreheads met as they each closed their eyes for a brief second. 'I suppose not.' Hades said with a light sigh. 'Plus, I want to take you somewhere.' He moved crossed the room, dropping his towel as he went. Heaving open the large glass doors of his closet, his eyes scowered its rails. Choosing underwear and black slim-fit jeans, he began to dress. 'Where are we going?' Persephone questioned. He turned to face her, watching her dry herself and begin to dress slowly. 'wait and see.' He smirked cryptically. Holding up her black bandage dress from the night before, she slowly unwrapped it and began to drape it across her body. Each fold of the soft cotton clung to her curves effortlessly.

Sliding on her shoes, she exhaled. 'The sooner I can get this off my body the better. I don't know what I was thinking.' She let out a short laugh. Raising her head so that her eyes were on him, she watched as he pulled a grey cashmere sweater over his head, the soft fabric brushing his chest as it fell into position. She couldn't help but notice the contour of his chiseled body, remembering the feel of his muscular frame pressed against her bare skin. She watched as he slid his wallet, phone, and keys into his back pockets, the jeans clinging to the curves of his buttocks. 'Ready?' Hades called as he slid on a pair of smart black shoes. 'when you are.' Persephone replied, draping one of his sweatshirts around her shoulders in an effort to shield herself from the bitter winds of the underworld. 'Why is it that you look so much better in my clothes than I do?' They both let out a hearty chuckle as they moved through the house, heading for the front door.

The drive passed quicker than usual. Normally Hades dreaded the drive to Olympus, but this time it was different: he felt lighter. Coming to an easy stop outside of her apartment, Persephone hurried out of the car, leaving Hades to watch her cross the threshold and fade from view. Once inside, she took a sharp breath inward and exhaled. The last 24 hours had flown by in a blur. This was real. She'd imagined what it would be like a hundred times, but nothing quite compared to the real thing. He wanted her. He needed her. She was his. A contented grin filled her petite face as she took a moment for the thought to sink in. She began to pack a bag, throwing in enough clothing to cover a few days. Glancing over to the tall mirror hanging from the bedroom wall, doubts flashed across her mind. Was she good enough? Was she mature enough? She was a lot younger than him after all. What would people think? He was a king… could she be a Queen? Could she be all that he needed?

Twenty minutes later, she emerged, carrying a small holdall bag, dressed in a white sweater; a burgundy pinafore dress; thick tights; soft brown ankle boots and a heavy brown coat. Her hair fell in soft beachy waves around her shoulders and down her back. She looked radiant; the epitome of an autumn day. Placing her bag delicately on the back seat of his Mercedes, she clambered back into the passenger seat. Leaning across to give him a soft kiss on the cheek, his hand reached over to squeeze her knee. 'Let's go!' she squealed excitedly. Chuckling, Hades pulled the car away from the apartment and set off down the highway back to the underworld.


End file.
